


bloom

by remorsefulrobot



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Hanahaki Disease, M/M, minor gore warning, vomit warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 05:59:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13541208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remorsefulrobot/pseuds/remorsefulrobot
Summary: Sal made flowers grow in his lungs.They were beautiful, but he couldn’t breathe.





	bloom

**Author's Note:**

> back @ it again with the fanfics B)

Larry woke up to hacking and coughing, beating his chest as flower petals emerged from his mouth, ungracefully plopping down onto the blanket below him. They were wet with blood and saliva, yet still remained that same electric blue, just like—

Thinking of Sal only made it worse. Taking a quick, deep breath, Larry choked and hacked more, until his lap was filled with the blue petals, along with some small blooms, all glistening with blood.  
Finally, he can breathe again, and he falls back onto the bed, panting and taking in the precious air he had taken for granted only a short while ago. 

Because, only a short while ago, did he develop feelings for Sal.

Sal was beautiful and unique, a rarity amongst the faces he’d seen all his life at Addison Apartments. There was something magnetic about him that made Larry want to stay close to him at all times. The way Sal was just so open and friendly to everyone was a marvel to him. Some stayed wary of Sal, due to his strange appearance, but it only made Larry like him more. Even when Sal had finally taken off his prosthetic, Larry still found him beautiful. He’d lay awake at night, Sanity’s Fall playing faintly on his stereo, thinking about his friend. 

The night that Larry realized his father was truly dead was the same night that the flowers struck. 

It had started small, with the occasional choke and a random flower petal falling out of his mouth, but quickly grew into something more. He would stay up, coughing into a bucket that would fill with flower petals, all blue and smelling harshly of nicotine and blood. Those nights he thanked God that his mother was a heavy sleeper.

It became harder and harder to hide his condition. He would frequently have to take bathroom breaks to cough, blaming it on his cigarettes or a cold. It became harder and harder to breathe, and no amount of cigarettes could kill off the flowers that bloomed in his lungs.

Nevertheless, his feelings for Sal only grew. Each “hello” made his heart leap and brightened Larry’s day, even if just a bit. Sal was the one person he felt he could open up to, and he just felt comfortable in the boy’s presence in general. He was completely fine with sitting in his room, listening to metal and just staring at the ceiling with Sal. 

He couldn’t tell his mother about it, however. He doubted she’d know what was going on. Instead, he went for someone he was sure knew just about anything. 

“This is unexepected.” Todd said curtly, feeding his fish as Larry found a seat on the floor. “Usually you’d go to Sal for anything you needed. Is he away or something?” He turned to Larry, raising an eyebrow.

“Nah, he’s probably at his own place.” Larry said, staring at the floor. This was going to be difficult to ask. “I just gotta ask you something really, really personal, so don’t tell anyone, okay?”

“Are you finally coming out?” 

“Fuck you, Todd.”

With a snort, Todd sat down at his computer chair, linking his fingers and resting them on his lap. It made Larry think of a therapist. “So, what’s your problem?”

“Well, I—“ He took a deep breath. “Me and Sal have been friends for a while now, and I thought we would just stay friends, but..” 

“Oh, you two started dating?”

“No! I mean.. I like him. A lot. But after I realized it, I started coughing up these fucking flowers. I think they’re, like, in my lungs. I can feel them in there sometimes. I haven’t told anyone else this but you, cause you’re really smart. Do you know what it is?”

Todd chewed on his lip for a moment, thinking. “I’ve read about this before. Hold on..” He turned to his computer, quickly typing. “Here it is. Come here.”

Raising an eyebrow, Larry stood, standing next to Todd and looking at the screen. 

“Hanahaki disease, an illness that causes flowers to grow in the lungs. It stems from unrequited love, and can cause labored breathing, coughing up flowers and or flower petals, and even death by asphyxiation if not cured.” Todd explained.

Larry’s eyes went wide and his face went pale. This illness could fucking kill him? “How do you cure it..?” His voice went quiet and scared, and he felt like running away. 

“Well, you can have surgery to get it removed, but the quickest way to get rid of it is to have the feeling returned.” Todd leaned back. “Do you have any idea if Sal returns the sentiment?”

“Nope.” Larry stared forlornly at the screen. He was either going to have to go under the knife, or he was going to die. Gre—

At that moment, he started to choke, holding his hand over his mouth as if to stop himself. He couldn’t hold it for much longer, however, and coughed into the open air. He began to panic, as the familiar feeling of petals falling out was missing, and it became harder and harder for him to take breaths between coughing fits. He doubled over, his hands going to his chest as he tried to cough, but nothing was working. He was sure he was going to die.

“Oh, shit! Larry!“ Todd quickly jumped out of his chair, his eyes wide. Looking around for anything he could use, he rushed out of the room, returning a few seconds later with a bucket. “Okay, okay, Jesus Christ, Larry—“ He placed the bucket down on the floor and did his best to gently lead Larry towards it. “Get on your knees, yeah, like that, just keep coughing.” As Larry choked into the bucket, Todd rushed around to Larry’s back, wrapping his arms around Larry’s stomach and pushing hard.

His body shaking, Larry vomited. With it came several huge flowers, the same that had made Larry’s life hell over the weeks. Letting out a pained groan, he had to hold himself up with his hands, his hair hanging in his face limply as he gasped for air. There were still flowers. He could feel them this time, their roots spreading across his lungs and choking him to death.

All Todd could do was gently rub Larry’s back and look away, feeling pity for his friend. 

The two sat in silence for a while. All that sounded out were Larry’s ragged breaths and Todd’s occasional “shh” when Larry tried to speak.

Finally, Larry stood, wiping his mouth and staring at the floor, embarrassed. “S-Sorry, Todd.” He said finally, his voice slightly hoarse. “Thank you, though. I thought I was gonna die.” 

“Come on, you think puke is something I haven’t seen before?” Todd smiled a little, patting Larry’s back. “You know I wouldn’t have let you die, Larry. I do think you either need to tell Sal or tell someone who can help, though.”

“.. I will when I get out of here.” Larry knew it wouldn’t be the best idea, but fuck, he couldn’t have another episode like that again. Especially not alone.

“Also, I thought you tried to not swear?” Larry asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, well, I’ve been under a bit of bad influcence recently.” Todd looked away, a blush faintly appearing on his cheeks.

“You know you’re gonna have to tell me, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m not telling you until you tell Sal.”

With a roll of his eyes, Larry stood, wobbling a bit as he tried to stabilize himself and his sore stomach. “Here, at least let me—“

“I’ll take care of it, Larry. Just go.”

///

Larry took a deep breath, staring at Sal’s apartment door. He’d ran home, cleaned up, rid his mouth of the vomit taste and smell. Normally, he wouldn’t come in Sal’s home like this, but Sal did it at his place all the time, so he was sure he wouldn’t care. Pushing open the door, he stepped in.

“Oh, hey, Larry Face.” Sal was sprawled out on the couch, with Gizmo fast asleep on his stomach. Sal moved the sleeping cat to his lap without even waking him up, and sat up. “What’s up?” 

Larry smiled a little. Sal looked adorable, with his hair let down and still in his pajamas. Today must have been a lazy day for him. “I gotta talk to you about something, actually.” He said, sitting next to Sal. “You know what— uh—“ He fumbled to remember the words. “Hanahaki disease is?”

“Yeah? It’s that disease with the flowers, right?” Sal said casually, starting to pet Gizmo. “You, like, start cou—“ Sal cut himself off with his own cough, reaching under his mouth to wipe his mouth, and Larry swore he saw a petal.

“Yeah.” Larry stared down at his legs, chewing on his lips. “Well, I, uh— I have it.”

“Holy shit, you do?”

“Yeah. I have for a while, and I.. I think it’s cause of you.” Larry said quietly. 

Sal stopped, his prosthetic unable to hide the surprise on his face, and Larry cringed. This was a bad idea.

“Larry, I— I have it too, you know.”

“Seriously?” 

“Uh-huh. I have no idea how it happened. At first, I thought it was from Ash, but I realized it was from you. I guess it was kinda the same for you?”

Larry’s heart was pounding, and his breathing picked up slightly. “So, do you..?”

“Do you—?”

“I wouldn’t be talking to you about this if I didn’t, dude.” Larry said with a grin.

Sal laughed a little, leaning closer.

“Then I do.”

They hugged tightly, Sal burying his face into Larry’s chest and Larry resting chin on Sal’s head.

They could both feel the flowers in their lungs die and wither away.

**Author's Note:**

> god I don’t like the ending but the rest is rlly good


End file.
